Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a number of questions here. Initially I want to follow up on my colleague Mr. Abernethy’s comments with regard to the volunteer sector. I am totally supportive of his comments. I fully believe that we lack coordination of the voluntary sector across this government. I did want to point out, although it’s a matter of semantics perhaps, whether or not NGOs are a voluntary sector, I would think that, I can’t guarantee, but I would imagine 100 percent of non-government organizations are run by volunteer boards, and in my mind that makes them part of the voluntary sector.
I note with interest that on page 2-20, at the top under the strategic planning, the description says that this office provides support for cross-government planning activities. I think that’s a perfect description of what’s required for those organizations and the people who do volunteer within our Territory and that provide services for our residents through contract with the government, but also we have any number of volunteers who work
not on a contract basis but simply provide services, and coaches are one example that provide services to our residents through their goodwill.
The other point I wanted to make, in terms of support for cross-government planning activities, is the initiative that’s being worked on right now and that’s the Anti-Poverty Strategy or framework, whichever title it is. It’s well placed in the Department of Executive because it is an initiative that does encompass every department within our government. I want to reiterate that. I know that the department is working on it. I have my concerns about what kind of a discussion paper is going to come out at the end of this period of consultation, but I’m willing to wait and see. I really hope that we’re going to look at anti-poverty or look at actions to fight poverty. I hope we’re going to look at those across every department because they totally overlap each other. Housing, health, education, ITI, they’re all interwoven, and if we don’t look at all departments when we look at this particular initiative, it’s going to be a waste of time and money.
I mentioned in my opening remarks that I’m glad to see that the single-window service centre is working well and I heard from the Minister that it seems to be a successful initiative. I look forward to hearing more about that particular initiative whether, as time goes on, that it still is seen to be as successful as the Minister says that it is at this particular moment.
I do have some concerns with the non-government organization Stabilization Fund and I have sort of expressed those to the Minister. I know that the Standing Committee on Priorities and Planning has also expressed some of those concerns to the Minister by letter.
The word “stabilization” to me indicates that the funding should be provided to assist an organization that is not stable and the criteria for this particular fund, in my mind, allows for activities which enhance an organization but it doesn’t actually stabilize an organization. Two of them that I can think of off the top of my head are website development, which, to me, doesn’t necessarily stabilize an organization, and training and so on for board governance. I agree that those things are absolutely necessary, certainly the board governance more so perhaps than website development. To me, those are both ongoing operation and maintenance expenses. They are not something that is out of the ordinary. I would sincerely hope that the department would look at re-evaluating the criteria for the NGO Stabilization Fund. I think it ought to be used for those organizations which are in danger of failing, crumbling, disappearing into oblivion, because most organizations are relatively stable, although they struggle from year to year to get their funding and
they might hit me in the back of the head for saying they are stable, and that is why I use the word relatively. If they get their funding on an annual basis or multi-year which is far better, then they are relatively stable, but certainly circumstances intervene quite often. It makes life difficult for some of them. It will cause some of them to actually cease operation. That, to me, is where the NGO Stabilization Fund should come into play.
I guess I am kind of carrying on, but I would like to first of all ask the Minister whether or not there is any appetite to review the criteria for the NGO Stabilization Fund for next year’s distributions. Thank you.